Some angry over ever-growing yard sale outside Staten Island home

ByToni Yates WABC logo

Monday, October 11, 2021

Some angry over ever-growing yard sale outside Staten Island home

Toni Yates has more on the yard sale outside a Staten Island home.

WILLOWBROOK, Staten Island (WABC) -- There is anger over an ever-growing yard sale on Staten Island as some neighbors say it has gotten so big over the years it has become a dangerous attraction.

Owner Rob Renaud has mastered the art of the yard sale and he says he's not doing anything wrong.

Locals know the corner -- Willowbrook Road and North Gannon -- it's where Renaud's parents purchased the home back in 1964.

"And I'm just so lucky because they had three houses to choose from and they bought the one in the corner, never knowing we were going to have a great yard sale/rummage sale, you know?" Renaud said.

Where he grew up is now where he makes his living. And his regulars love it.

"Everyone knows about it, I'm always slowing down, I check it every time I come off the expressway," one regular customer said.

But there has been pushback. Apparently some say the spot is a nuisance. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection reports seven complaints.

Staten Island Advance reporter Kristin Dalton first noticed the lot over the summer.

"A few of the residents reached out to me...just traffic concerns as you can see, it's a very busy three-lane right off the Staten Island Expressway, people slowing down to look at the merchandise which is curbside, and they had some real concerns," Dalton said.

But according to Consumer and Worker Protection rules, it seems Renaud is good to go.

His items aren't on the sidewalk and are on private property and he says no one is really being inconvenienced.

"As you can see, I'm in a commercial area, there's only two houses next to me, one is a dentist office and I'm between a Ramada Inn and an abandoned warehouse, so I'm really not bothering anybody and a lot of people come to the yard sale but there's all legal parking and they just love it," Renaud said.

One visitor said at times there have been so many items in the sidewalk it is hard to walk, and that is one of the violations Renaud has addressed with the city.

Renaud said it is cleared up and he will keep it that way so he hopefully can continue his business without further complaints.

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